“Iranian-born composer, ethnomusicologist, and inventor of musical instruments, Nima Fakhrara is the founder of Zoo Creatives, with studios in Los Angeles and New York City. His credits include the Toronto Film Festival Official Selection, THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS (the final film executive produced by Wes Craven), the Los Angeles Film Festival selection CONSUMED (directed by Daryl Wein), the Sundance Film Festival selection THE SIGNAL, GATCHAMAN (directed by Toya Sato and starring Tori Matsuzaka and Ryohei Suzuki), a live action take on the anime series BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, THE PYRAMID (directed by Gregory Levveseur, produced by Alexander Aja), and EXISTS (directed by Eduardo Sanchez). His international credits include the Japanese TV show called TANTEI NO TANTEI, the SXSW selection I AM A HERO, and he served as a score producer on the Iranian television show called ASPRIN. His video game credits include RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS 2 and the 2016 release 1979 REVOLUTION.

Nima’s first experience with music was listening to his uncle play the santour. Influenced by this, he studied that instrument and became well versed in Persian classical music. After moving to the United States, Nima continued his musical studies and attended California State University Northridge where he obtained his degree in composition studies. However, his interest in music was not limited to composition and performance. He studied ethnomusicology, anthropology, and how to construct instruments. Classically trained with both traditional western and non-western sounds, Nima often sample instruments from around the world. If he hasn’t found the right sound, he invents new instruments to create the textures and timbres in his mind.”

We had a chance to speak with Nima about his work on 1979 Revolution, the ways he has forged his unique sounds, and the creative paths he has deliberately carved out for his career, among a few other stories. Check out our interview below, and make sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel to keep up with our videos!

Many thanks to Nima Fakhrara, as well as Ashley Moore at The Krakower Group PR for helping make this interview happen.

Written by: Meena Shamaly

Meena Shamaly is a composer, artist, multi-instrumentalist and performance poet based in Melbourne, Australia. His music covers a wide range of styles and sensibilities and often intersects with his poetry. He is part of international production house EON Sounds, working on various film, TV, video game, and production library projects.

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